Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) unveiled a new Website Tuesday that provides a forum for Virginians to take action where he says state government will not: holding the Virginia Department of Transportation accountable.

As VDOT moves towards the enactment of a “Blueprint for the Future” that includes the closure of 25 rest areas and radically downgraded road maintenance and snow and ice removal standards across Virginia, especially in rural areas, the department has contended that budget realities give them little choice but to cut essential services.

However, Obenshain says the Department has resisted efforts to secure an outside audit for years and significant amounts of waste remain untouched as critical safety measures go under the knife.

Renewing his call for an outside audit of VDOT, Obenshain says, “Just a week ago at a public hearing in Verona, one member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board dismissed as pointless public calls for an audit, asserting that VDOT is the most audited organization he knows. If that's true, I suggest that he should get out more. Next year, auditing VDOT has to be a top priority, but the fact is that we don't have that long. If VDOT won't submit to an outside audit, we will have to conduct an informal one of our own.”

Obenshain's new Website provides an avenue for Virginians to report waste and unnecessary projects.

“We'll look into every tip sent our way,” says Obenshain. “And where there's waste, we'll publicize it and hold VDOT's feet to the fire.”

The site will also serve as a community building support for a formal audit of the Department.

“I don't do this just to pick a fight,” adds Obenshain. “My constituents, and people across this Commonwealth, will suffer if VDOT's central office bureaucrats in Richmond downgrade its maintenance standards and board up rest areas across the Commonwealth. Before they create potentially unsafe conditions, officials at VDOT should make every effort to ensure that each dollar is being spent wisely. The people of this Commonwealth deserve nothing less.”

Obenshain pointed to the recent announcement of a pilot program to extend light rail service from Richmond and Lynchburg to Washington, D.C. as an example of misplaced priorities.

“I have nothing against commuter rail,” says Obenshain. “But compared to basic safety on our existing roadways, its expansion is a low priority. We could keep all the rest stops open for half the cost of this pilot program.”

The “Expose VDOT Waste” Website has a companion Facebook group that launched Friday, which already has more than 350 members. Integrated with the Website, it offers Facebook users an opportunity to express their support for transparency and fiscal responsibility at VDOT, and to share their own accounts of VDOT waste and mismanagement.

“All of us can give examples of hard-working VDOT employees who are dedicated to keeping our roads safe,” says Obenshain. “I consider them allies in this fight. This is about getting our priorities straight: let's make sure that we spend our scarce transportation dollars wisely; maintaining our existing roadways; prioritize, not politicize, new construction projects; and above all, let's make sure that wasteful spending doesn't take away from top safety priorities like clearing snow, grading roads and keeping the rest stops open.”

Del. Matt Lohr (R-Rockingham County) expressed support for Obenshain's Website Tuesday, saying VDOT's plans could dramatically impact residents in the Valley.

“Our local VDOT employees do a great job, however, the VDOT administration in Richmond need some assistance in maintaining their priorities," says Lohrs. "Road maintenance is one of the most important functions of VDOT and we need to maintain those standards. We need to look at ensuring public safety on the highways, snow removal, and keeping the rest stop areas open along I-81.”

Tuesday night, Lohr spoke to a group at Rockingham Cooperative's annual business meeting. The topic of the meeting was agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley, but Lohr spoke to News 3 about the Website after the meeting.

He says, "The goal is to really take a look at the agency. My goal is not just to rip VDOT at all because the workers themselves do a great job we just feel like there's some inefficiencies in Richmond and hopefully these types of things will types of things can help bring that to light."

The Virginia Department of Transportation responded to Obenshain's Website, saying it invites the scrutiny as it continues to make difficult decisions during these hard economic times.

"We would look at the senator's Website as another resource that can help us conduct our business very transparently," says Jeff Caldwell, Chief of Communications for VDOT. "But we do feel like we're making sound decisions for the Commonwealth and the citizens of the Commonwealth and we are doing everything we can to spend the Commonwealth's taxpayer money in the best way possible."

The site stems from recent announcements made by VDOT. The agency says it will close interstate rest stops and make service cuts to compensate for a $2.6 billion budget shortfall.